Here’s a great way to take your Labor Day cookout to the next level. Homemade hamburger buns take some time to prepare, but the payoff is huge: a soft, pillowy roll with a slightly sweet, yeasty flavor. Make the most of the last days of summer with your best burger yet.

Homemade Hamburger Buns

1 1/2 cups milk

8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

4 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast

4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

5 Tbs. sugar

1 Tbs. kosher salt

1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp. water

Sesame seeds for sprinkling (optional)

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk and butter and heat until the butter is melted, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to 105° to 115°F. Add the yeast and stir until the yeast is dissolved. Let stand for 10 minutes.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the 4 cups flour, the sugar and salt and beat on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add the milk mixture and knead until the dough forms a ball, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the mixer bowl, oil the inside of the bowl and return the dough to the bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 10-by-7 1/2-inch rectangle. Using a ruler as a guide, cut the dough into 2 1/2-inch squares. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, spacing the buns evenly apart, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Preheat an oven to 400°F.

Remove the plastic wrap from the baking sheet. Brush the tops of the buns with the egg mixture and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake until the buns are golden and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a bun registers 190°F, 14 to 16 minutes. Transfer the buns to a wire rack and let cool completely. Cut in half and use as hamburger buns. Makes 12 hamburger buns.

For slider buns: Follow the instructions above but roll out the dough into a 9-inch square. Cut into 1 1/2-inch squares and place on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. Position 1 rack in the upper third of an oven and 1 rack in the lower third and preheat to 400°F. Brush the tops of the buns with the egg mixture and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for about 14 minutes, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom and 180 degrees halfway through baking. Makes 36 slider buns.

It’s the grand finale for our favorite meal of the year: the Thanksgiving pie! Whether you swear by the classics or are looking for a sweet new spin, these autumnal recipes have you covered. Keep reading, and get inspired to start baking.

Deep-Dish Apple Bourbon Streusel Pie
Baked in a rectangular baking dish, this pie is perfect for serving a crowd. It’s packed with apples and spiked with a splash of bourbon, then topped with a crispy, buttery streusel.

Classic Pumpkin Pie
This traditional pie is easy to make, so get the whole family involved! The creamy, spiced pumpkin filling is wonderfully comforting and a little nostalgic. To add a fanciful finish, use decorative piecrust cutters to create shapes from rolled-out pie dough. Then bake the cutouts and place them on the baked and cooled pie.

Apple Pie
There is nothing more homey, autumnal and American than a warm apple pie cooling on the kitchen counter. Top each slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or slices of sharp Cheddar cheese.

Spiced Apple-Cranberry Pie
A medley of spices gives a flavor boost to this pie, which makes a festive addition to a winter gathering. Apples complement the flavor of tart cranberries, creating a bright, colorful filling.

Pecan Pie
This Thanksgiving dessert is easy as pie, thanks to our jarred pecan pie filling. For even faster prep, use our piecrust mix instead of making the dough from scratch.

Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie
Put a new spin on your holiday pie by filling it with pumpkin ice cream. A crispy crust and whipped cream topping completes this gorgeous dessert.

Sweet Potato Pie with Pecan Streusel
Sweet potatoes make a delicious and unexpected substitute for pumpkin in pies. This Southern-inspired treat is a great way to showcase yams in a new way.

This time of year, nothing compares to the irresistible aroma of sweet pumpkin baked goods or the nutty richness the veggies add to savory dishes. Now that the season’s finally arrived, here’s a month’s worth of our favorite ways to get your pumpkin spice fix.

Pumpkin Ravioli with Sage Butter
Here’s the classic ravioli of the city of Ferrara, in Emilia-Romagna, although the city of Mantua, in Lombardy, also claims the dish. It is best served with a simple sauce of lightly browned butter and fresh sage, which heightens and contrasts with the sweetness of the pumpkin in the filling.

Classic Pumpkin Pie
This is our ultimate pumpkin pie recipe (customer-approved!) with rich, deep flavor and a wonderful texture. To add a fanciful finish to this pumpkin pie, use decorative piecrust cutters to create shapes from rolled-out pie dough for the top.

Spiced Pumpkin and Lamb Tagine
In this recipe from Chef Michael Voltaggio, a whole pumpkin is filled with a hearty, warmly spiced lamb tagine. Serve over steamed rice or couscous, and scoop out the tender flesh as you eat.

Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar-Pecan Streusel
This coffee cake is lighter than you would expect, with the rich flavor of pumpkin and spices and a thick layer of crunchy brown sugar and pecan streusel. It was made for a festive autumn brunch, paired with big steaming cups of joe.

Pumpkin Soup with Spicy Pumpkin Seeds
The best part about this recipe is that it uses almost the entire pumpkin, and the seeds from the pumpkin are roasted to use for the garnish. Pack leftover toasted pumpkin seeds in your child’s lunch box (or your own!) for a fun treat.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Candied Pumpkin Seeds
This recipe demonstrates the versatility of ourBundt cake mix—the batter is baked in muffin pans, then the cupcakes are topped with cream cheese frosting and candied pumpkin seeds. These sweet treats will be a hit with kids and grown-ups alike.

Pumpkin Lasagna with Fontina
This hearty lasagna is perfect for this transitional time, when late-summer produce is winding down and the first fall vegetables appear at farmers’ markets. Combining yellow squash, zucchini and pumpkin, the dish comes together quickly, thanks to our ready-to-use pasta sauce.

Pumpkin Ice Cream
Combine pureed pumpkin with plenty of spices and a classic custard, and you’ll have the makings of this rich, creamy autumnal ice cream. It’s ideal for pumpkin lovers!

Pork and Pumpkin Stew
Chock-full of tender pork and pumpkin and seasoned with a medley of fragrant spices, this warming stew is perfect for a fall dinner with friends.

Ooey Gooey Pumpkin Bars
This dessert has become a favorite of our staff and customers ever since one of our sales associates created it. These bars are delicious on their own but to take them over the top, sprinkle with candied pecans or add a dollop of whipped cream just before serving.

Braised Beef with Autumn Vegetables
Here’s a hearty stew to get you through the cold winter months. The addition of a light vinaigrette laced with green onions and peppery mint just before serving infuses this dish with bright, fresh flavors.

Pumpkin Pie Waffles
These waffles are made with the same spices used for pumpkin pie along with sour cream for smoothness; the dark rum is there for extra flavor and a little mystery. Like pumpkin pie, they are comforting, custardy and filling.

Pumpkin Tortelloni with Sage & Pumpkin Seeds
Tortelloni—a bigger version of tortellini, closer to a dumpling—is traditionally stuffed with pumpkin, nutmeg and Parmigiano-Reggiano. But beyond that starting point, the regional variations are countless. Chef Thomas McNaughton of San Francisco’s restaurant Flour + Water puts pumpkin seeds in the sauce, to give the tortelloni a little crunch and nuttiness, and he coats the pasta with a brown butter sauce.

Iced Pumpkin-Raisin Cookies
Perfect for casual gatherings, these pumpkin cookies are laced with raisins and walnuts and seasoned with a medley of spices. A cream cheese glaze adds a delicious finishing touch.

Roasted Baby Pumpkins
Sweetened with maple syrup, these petite pumpkins make a wonderful accompaniment to the Thanksgiving feast as well as to other autumn meals. The pumpkin puree is served directly in the shell for a colorful presentation.

Pumpkin Tart
This festive tart is a wonderful alternative to the classic pumpkin pie, and it’s not just for Thanksgiving. Store-bought puff pastry streamlines prep and saves you time.